Ong Keng Yong

Ong Keng Yong (Chinese: 王景荣; pinyin: Wáng Jǐngróng, born 6 January 1955) is a Singaporean diplomat. He served as the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 2003 to 2007,^[1] and was Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia until 2014. Thereafter, he took over from Ambassador Barry Desker and assumed the position of 'Executive Deputy Chairman' of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.^[2]

Ong was educated at the University of Singapore, graduating with an LLB (Honours) and then at Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, where he received a Master of Arts in Arab Studies. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore in June 1979. He has been on diplomatic postings to Saudi Arabia (1984–1988), Malaysia (1989–1991) and the United States of America (1991–1994). From 1994 to 1996, he was spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1996 to 1998, he was High Commissioner of Singapore to India and concurrently Ambassador to Nepal. From 1998 to 2002, he worked as an important aide to the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, leaving that job in 2002. From 1999 to 2002, Ong was concurrently Chief Executive Director of the People's Association in Singapore, as well as Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts.

Ong is a member of the Governing Board of the Human Rights Resource Centre, based at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. He is also a Board Member of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Fund Singapore and The Asia Foundation Singapore. Ong is in the Global Council of the New York-based Asia Society.

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